For the French Federation of Cardiology the message is clear: “Vapor produced by e-cigarette is much less toxic than tobacco smoke“.

The new e-cigarette factsheet adds that even if it is not completely safe, levels of toxic substances are 9 to 450 times lower than in cigarette smoke. Most importantly, the authors noted that most of those substances only occur when the e-liquid is heated excessively.

The factsheet reads: “Let’s recall that nicotine is the substance present in tobacco that creates and sustains dependance and not what harms in smoking. It has a role of substitution, the same as in NRTs”.

The publication also provides reassuring figures: 3 millions of people are using e-cigarettes in France among which between 1.2 and 1.5 millions are daily users. Regular smokers build up 75% of users and 8.4% are occasional smokers. Among French people aged 15-75, 400,000 think that the e-cigarette helped them stop smoking of kept them away from tobacco, at least temporarily.

“The e-cigarette, used by many smokers, could help some of them quit smoking. It is by far less harmful than tobacco (no carbon monoxide, no significant amounts of carcinogernic substances).

Nevertheless, it is noticeable that many vapers keep smoking, even a few traditional cigarettes, while vaping. It is essential to use e-cigarettes exclusively and to avoid any exposure to tobacco smoke because keeping on smoking, even lightly, represents an important increase in the residual risk of cancer or cardiovascular disease.

The e-cigarette is exclusively reserved to smokers and not recommended to ex-smokers or non-smokers who would be tempted to try it.

Its sale is prohibited to the under-18s and it must not be used during pregnancy.

We lack scientific data to recommend e-cigarette use in first intention to smokers who would like to try the product. They will be logically advised to turn to products that have been scientifically tested efficient (NRTs and medication and counselling). If somebody already uses a personal vaporizer and abandoned smoking, there is no reason to discourage him/her from vaping, he/she must continue using it because it is definitely less harmful than smoking.

The High Council of Public Health advises to reinforce epidemiological studies and to continue the efforts in standardization and labelling to provide consumers with the most important information on quality and security.”